Today we’ll be talking about words and idioms with the noun HEART. We already covered idioms with HEAD, EYE, MOUTH, TOOTH and NECK, so feel free to check them out if you haven’t already.
This article comes from issue 2 (1/2023) of Your American English Magazine. You’ll find much more interesting stuff there, I’m sure.
| There are tons of idioms with the noun HEART and I don’t expect you to learn them all by heart, unless this topic is really near and dear to your heart. If you’re a person after my own heart, you will want to learn them all, though. Anyway, I’m giving you all these idioms out of the goodness of my heart. I hope the idea of learning so many idioms didn’t strike fear into your hearts. But who knows, maybe mastering English idioms has always been your heart’s desire. If your hearts just aren’t in it, I understand. It’s up to you. I’m pretty sure you know your hearts. It would just do my heart good to know that you at least have your heart set on learning some of them. You really don’t have to study them with your heart in your mouth. And I really hope you won’t lose heart, even if it seems overwhelming. Good, so now that I’ve had this heart-to-heart with you, let’s have a look at some more idioms. | by heart – from memory near/dear/close to your heart – very personally and emotionally important to you after sb’s own heart – having similar likes and dislikes as sb out of the goodness of your heart – because you are a good person and not because you want to get sth for yourself strike fear into sb’s heart – to make sb very afraid heart’s desire – greatest wish your heart is in sth – used to say that you feel much interest or enthusiasm about doing sth know your heart/mind – to be sure of what you want, like, think, etc. do your heart good – to make you feel very happy have your heart set on sth / set your heart on sth – to want sth very much with your heart in your mouth – used to say that you are very excited or nervous about sth lose heart – to begin to feel that you cannot do sth that you have been trying to do, to become discouraged heart-to-heart – an honest, serious, and private conversation |
| Although it’s the brain that controls your feelings, people have for centuries associated the heart with that. No wonder there are so many idioms related to feelings with the noun HEART. Let’s start with the positive ones, like love. Are you the type of person who wears their heart on their sleeve? Do you talk about matters of the heart? Did someone steal your heart? Or maybe you want to win someone’s heart? Or, which is worse, did someone ever break your heart? | wear your heart on your sleeve – to show your emotions very openly matters/affairs of the heart – romantic matters/affairs win/steal/capture sb’s heart – to win sb’s love break sb’s heart – to cause sb to feel great sorrow or sadness |
| How do you behave when you meet someone and lose your heart to that person? Do you open your heart and tell that person how you feel? Do you have a heart-to-heart talk about that? Talking about love isn’t easy. It’s not for the faint of heart. There are so many fainthearted people, so it’s no wonder there are so many lonely hearts clubs. | lose your heart – to fall in love with sb open your heart – to talk in a very open and honest way about your feelings heart-to-heart – very sincere and honest not for the faint of heart – not for those who lack the courage to face sth difficult or dangerous fainthearted – feeling or showing a lack of courage lonely hearts – intended for lonely people who want to meet sb they can have a romantic or friendly relationship with |
| As you know, there are good and bad people. I hope your heart is in the right place. I’m sure you have a big heart. I’m all heart too. Some people say I have a heart of gold. Or do you have a cold heart, a heart of stone? I think it’s much better to be a big-hearted, or, in other words, good-hearted person than to be a hard-hearted one. Sometimes you feel in your heart that something bad is going to happen. Sometimes you are doing something wrong. You know in your heart it’s wrong, but you can’t stop. Then you apologize and you mean it from the bottom of your heart, but it may be too late. This makes you sick at heart. Especially if you said something that someone has taken to heart. If this is the case, my heart bleeds for you. But after a while things will get better, cross my heart. You won’t be heavyhearted forever. Even if a person you love leaves you for a while, remember that absence makes the heart grow fonder. So, take heart, things will get better soon. | your heart is in the right place – used to say that you are a kind person who is trying to do good things have a big heart / be all heart / have a heart of gold – to be a very kind person have a cold/hard heart – to treat people in a harsh or unfriendly way have a heart of stone – to not care at all about the feelings of other people big-hearted / good-hearted – generous and kind hard-hearted – having or showing no kindness or sympathy for other people feel in your heart – to have a feeling in your heart / in your heart of hearts – even though you don’t want to admit it from the bottom of your heart / (straight) from the/your heart – in a very sincere way sick at heart – very sad and upset take sth to heart – to be deeply affected or hurt by sth your heart bleeds for sb – used to say that you feel great sadness or pity for sb cross my heart / cross my heart and hope to die – used to stress that you are telling the truth and will do what you promise heavyhearted – very sad absence makes the heart grow fonder – used to say that you tend to like sb better when that person goes away for a time take heart – to begin to feel better and more hopeful, to stop feeling sad or discouraged |
| Now, I have a question. Do you sometimes lie to your family or friends? I hope if you do, it’s nothing serious. But imagine your friend asks you how you like her dinner and you just don’t have the heart to tell her you don’t like it at all. This is what you probably do if you want with all your heart to please that person. | not have the heart to do sth – to not do sth because you know that it would hurt sb with all your heart– in a very sincere and deeply felt way |
| Another type of feeling, pity. For example if there’s a war. One country invades another and there are many victims. Doesn’t your heart go out to the families of the victims? Have a heart! They need your help. You should have their tragedy at heart. Sometimes you have to bring bad news to them. You probably do it with a heavy heart. And your heart sinks when you see their faces. Probably your heart was knocking in your chest before bringing them the bad news. | one’s heart goes out to sb – used to say that one feels sorry for sb have a heart – to have a kind or generous feeling for other people at heart – as a main concern heavy heart – a feeling of sadness your heart sinks – used to say that you become sad or disappointed about sth your heart is knocking – used to say that your heart is beating very hard, usually because you are nervous or excited |
| What’s your job? Do you do what you always wanted to do? Did you follow your heart and take up writing novels for example? Or maybe you just couldn’t find it in your heart to try? Sometimes you have to show a lot of heart to achieve something. Sometimes you are too scared to change something in your life, but sometimes such a change of heart may be worth it. So, be like this stouthearted knight and go for it. Let’s talk about emotions for a while. Do you pour your heart out to anyone who will listen or do you rather keep things for yourself? Are you brokenhearted when someone you love dies? Are you heartbroken if things turn out badly for you? And if something warms the cockles of your heart, what do you do? Your heart leaps, right? | follow one’s heart – to do what you truly want to do find it in your heart to do sth – to have courage or strength to do sth show a lot of heart – to have emotional strength that allows you to continue in a difficult situation change of heart – an important change in the way a person feels or thinks about sth stouthearted – (literary) brave and determined pour your heart/soul out – to speak very freely to sb about your private and most deeply felt emotions brokenhearted – filled with great sadness especially because sb you love has left you, has died, etc. heartbroken – filled with great sadness warm the cockles of your heart – to make you have warm and happy feelings your heart leaps – used to say that you are very happy or joyful about sth |
| Are you a romantic at heart? Maybe you’re a tender-hearted wife or an open-hearted husband? Does your heart melt when you see little babies or puppies? If so, let nothing ever harden your heart. Even if it means people will call you a bleeding-heart person. Do you like music? Then listen to it to your heart’s content. Last week I went to a concert. Yeah, eat your hearts out! I went there with a light heart. The band played their hearts out. When they started, my heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t prepared for such loud music. This wasn’t a heart-healthy thing, so I decided to go home. But still, this was a heart-stopping adventure. | at heart – at the most basic level tender-hearted – very gentle and kind, showing love, kindness, or pity open-hearted – kind and generous your heart melts – used to say that you begin to feel love, affection, or sympathy for sb or sth harden your heart – to stop having kind or friendly feelings for sb bleeding-heart – feeling too much sympathy for people in society who you think do not deserve sympathy or help to your heart’s content – until you feel satisfied, as long or as much as you want eat your heart out – to be jealous light heart – a feeling of happiness play/sing/dance your heart out – to play/sing/dance with great energy or effort your heart skips a beat / sth makes your heart skip a beat – used to say that you suddenly became very surprised, excited, or nervous about sth heart-healthy – good for the health of your heart heart-stopping – extremely shocking or exciting |
